Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Sibynophis (Serpentes: Colubroidea)

We present the results of the first molecular analysis of the phylogenetic affinities of the Asian colubroid genus Sibynophis. We recovered a sister-group relationship between Sibynophis and the New World Scaphiodontophis. Although Liophidium sometimes is associated with these genera, the relationship is distant. Morphological characters that Liophidium shares with Sibynophis and Scaphiodontophis are resolved as homoplasies that probably reflect the similarities of their specialized feeding habits. The traditional subfamily Sibynophiinae is elevated to the family-level, and Scaphiodontophiinae is placed in its synonymy.

Diversity of harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) in Parque da Onça Parda, southeastern Brazil

The environment most diverse in harvestmen species is the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo. However, there remains a lack of studies regarding their communities in certain regions. Among these regions is one south of the Paranapiacaba mountain range in the state of São Paulo, the Parque da Onça Parda (POP). Through nocturnal collections and pitfall traps, the region's harvestmen community has been studied. The observed richness of this site included 27 species, with dominance of three species: Holcobunus nigripalpis Roewer, 1910, Neosadocus maximus (Giltay, 1928) and Munequita sp., accounting for 68.4% of harvestmen abundance. This makes the diversity of POP more similar to the semideciduous Atlantic Forest communities of the interior than to those of the Coastal Atlantic Forest that contains the park. Its geographic location places it within the Southern São Paulo State (SSP) area of endemism, along with the Parque Turístico do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), with which it shares up to 12% similarity regarding harvestmen fauna. Richness and abundance of harvestmen were positively related to temperature and humidity. The period of animal activity (as measured by abundance and richness) varied throughout the night, being highest in the early hours during both studied seasons (summer and winter).

Crenicichla chicha, a new species of pike cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the rio Papagaio, upper rio Tapajós basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Crenicichla chicha, new species, occurs in clear, fast-running waters with rocky substrates in the rio Papagaio and tributaries. It is distinguished from all other Crenicichla species by the combination of two character states: infraorbitals 3 and 4 co-ossified (vs. separated) and 66-75 scales in the row immediately above to that containing the lower lateral line (E1 row scales). Crenicichla chicha shares a smooth preopercular margin, co-ossification of infraorbitals 3 and 4, and some color features with C. hemera from the adjacent rio Aripuanã drainage, rio Madeira basin. It differs from Crenicichla hemera in more E1 scales (66-75 vs. 58-65) and presence of a conspicuous black narrow stripe running from infraorbital 3 obliquely caudoventrad toward the preopercular margin vs. a rounded and faint suborbital marking present on infraorbitals 3-4. Examination of the type series and additional material from the rio Aripuanã confirms that Crenicichla guentheri Ploeg, 1991 is a junior subjective synonym of C. hemera Kullander, 1990.

Eruptive history of the Krakatau volcanic complex, Indonesia

[EN] The 1883 eruption of Krakatau is one of the best known volcanic events in the world, although it was not the largest, nor the deadliest of known eruptions. However, the eruption happened in a critical moment (just after the first global telegraph network was established) and in a strategic place (the Sunda Straits were a naval traffic hot spot at that time). The lecture will explore these events in some detail before presenting an outline on ongoing multidisciplinary efforts to unravel the past and present day plumbing systems of the 1883 eruption and that of the active Anak Krakatau cone. A mid- and a lower-crustal magma storage level exist beneath the volcano, placing significant emphasis on magma-crust interaction in the uppermost, sediment-rich crust. This final aspect shares similarities with the 2011/2012 El Hierro eruption, highlighting the relevance of the interaction between ascending magmas and marine deposits that oceanic magmas have to pass. At Krakatau, shallow-level crustal contamination offers a possible explanation for the explosive nature of the 1883 eruption and also for those of the presently active Anak Krakatau edifice and helps constrain location, style and processes of subvolcanic magma storage.

Reverse genetic studies of Benyvirus - Polymyxa betae molecular interaction: Role of the RNA4-encoded protein in virus transmission

Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), the leading infectious agent that affects sugar beet, is included within viruses transmitted through the soil from plasmodiophorid as Polymyxa betae. BNYVV is the causal agent of Rhizomania, which induces abnormal rootlet proliferation and is widespread in the sugar beet growing areas in Europe, Asia and America; for review see (Peltier et al., 2008). In this latter continent, Beet soil-borne mosaic virus (BSBMV) has been identified (Lee et al., 2001) and belongs to the benyvirus genus together with BNYVV, both vectored by P. betae. BSBMV is widely distributed only in the United States and it has not been reported yet in others countries. It was first identified in Texas as a sugar beet virus morphologically similar but serologically distinct to BNYVV. Subsequent sequence analysis of BSBMV RNAs evidenced similar genomic organization to that of BNYVV but sufficient molecular differences to distinct BSBMV and BNYVV in two different species (Rush et al., 2003). Benyviruses field isolates usually consist of four RNA species but some BNYVV isolates contain a fifth RNA. RNAs -1 contains a single long ORF encoding polypeptide that shares amino acid homology with known viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) and helicases. RNAs -2 contains six ORFs: capsid protein (CP), one readthrough protein, triple gene block proteins (TGB) that are required for cell-to-cell virus movement and the sixth 14 kDa ORF is a post-translation gene silencing suppressor. RNAs -3 is involved on disease symptoms and is essential for virus systemic movement. BSBMV RNA-3 can be trans-replicated, trans-encapsidated by the BNYVV helper strain (RNA-1 and -2) (Ratti et al., 2009). BNYVV RNA-4 encoded one 31 kDa protein and is essential for vector interactions and virus transmission by P. betae (Rahim et al., 2007). BNYVV RNA-5 encoded 26 kDa protein that improve virus infections and accumulation in the hosts. We are interest on BSBMV effect on Rhizomania studies using powerful tools as full-length infectious cDNA clones. B-type full-length infectious cDNA clones are available (Quillet et al., 1989) as well as A/P-type RNA-3, -4 and -5 from BNYVV (unpublished). A-type BNYVV full-length clones are also available, but RNA-1 cDNA clone still need to be modified. During the PhD program, we start production of BSBMV full-length cDNA clones and we investigate molecular interactions between plant and Benyviruses exploiting biological, epidemiological and molecular similarities/divergences between BSBMV and BNYVV. During my PhD researchrs we obtained full length infectious cDNA clones of BSBMV RNA-1 and -2 and we demonstrate that they transcripts are replicated and packaged in planta and able to substitute BNYVV RNA-1 or RNA-2 in a chimeric viral progeny (BSBMV RNA-1 + BNYVV RNA-2 or BNYVV RNA-1 + BSBMV RNA-2). During BSBMV full-length cDNA clones production, unexpected 1,730 nts long form of BSBMV RNA-4 has been detected from sugar beet roots grown on BSBMV infected soil. Sequence analysis of the new BSBMV RNA-4 form revealed high identity (~100%) with published version of BSBMV RNA-4 sequence (NC_003508) between nucleotides 1-608 and 1,138-1,730, however the new form shows 528 additionally nucleotides between positions 608-1,138 (FJ424610). Two putative ORFs has been identified, the first one (nucleotides 383 to 1,234), encode a protein with predicted mass of 32 kDa (p32) and the second one (nucleotides 885 to 1,244) express an expected product of 13 kDa (p13). As for BSBMV RNA-3 (Ratti et al., 2009), full-length BSBMV RNA-4 cDNA clone permitted to obtain infectious transcripts that BNYVV viral machinery (Stras12) is able to replicate and to encapsidate in planta. Moreover, we demonstrated that BSBMV RNA-4 can substitute BNYVV RNA-4 for an efficient transmission through the vector P. betae in Beta vulgaris plants, demonstrating a very high correlation between BNYVV and BSBMV. At the same time, using BNYVV helper strain, we studied BSBMV RNA-4’s protein expression in planta. We associated a local necrotic lesions phenotype to the p32 protein expression onto mechanically inoculated C. quinoa. Flag or GFP-tagged sequences of p32 and p13 have been expressed in viral context, using Rep3 replicons, based on BNYVV RNA-3. Western blot analyses of local lesions contents, using FLAG-specific antibody, revealed a high molecular weight protein, which suggest either a strong interaction of BSBMV RNA4’s protein with host protein(s) or post translational modifications. GFP-fusion sequences permitted the subcellular localization of BSBMV RNA4’s proteins. Moreover we demonstrated the absence of self-activation domains on p32 by yeast two hybrid system approaches. We also confirmed that p32 protein is essential for virus transmission by P. betae using BNYVV helper strain and BNYVV RNA-3 and we investigated its role by the use of different deleted forms of p32 protein. Serial mechanical inoculation of wild-type BSBMV on C. quinoa plants were performed every 7 days. Deleted form of BSBMV RNA-4 (1298 bp) appeared after 14 passages and its sequence analysis shows deletion of 433 nucleotides between positions 611 and 1044 of RNA-4 new form. We demonstrated that this deleted form can’t support transmission by P. betae using BNYVV helper strain and BNYVV RNA-3, moreover we confirmed our hypothesis that BSBMV RNA-4 described by Lee et al. (2001) is a deleted form. Interesting after 21 passages we identifed one chimeric form of BSBMV RNA-4 and BSBMV RNA-3 (1146 bp). Two putative ORFs has been identified on its sequence, the first one (nucleotides 383 to 562), encode a protein with predicted mass of 7 kDa (p7), corresponding to the N-terminal of p32 protein encoded by BSBMV RNA-4; the second one (nucleotides 562 to 789) express an expected product of 9 kDa (p9) corresponding to the C-terminal of p29 encoded by BSBMV RNA-3. Results obtained by our research in this topic opened new research lines that our laboratories will develop in a closely future. In particular BSBMV p32 and its mutated forms will be used to identify factors, as host or vector protein(s), involved in the virus transmission through P. betae. The new results could allow selection or production of sugar beet plants able to prevent virus transmission then able to reduce viral inoculum in the soil.

Analysis and Implementation of Multiphase-Multilevel Inverter for Open-Winding Loads

Research work carried out in focusing a novel multiphase-multilevel ac motor drive system much suitable for low-voltage high-current power applications. In specific, six-phase asymmetrical induction motor with open-end stator winding configuration, fed from four standard two-level three-phase voltage source inverters (VSIs). Proposed synchronous reference frame control algorithm shares the total dc source power among the 4 VSIs in each switching cycle with three degree of freedom. Precisely, first degree of freedom concerns with the current sharing between two three-phase stator windings. Based on modified multilevel space vector pulse width modulation shares the voltage between each single VSIs of two three-phase stator windings with second and third degree of freedom, having proper multilevel output waveforms. Complete model of whole ac motor drive based on three-phase space vector decomposition approach was developed in PLECS - numerical simulation software working in MATLAB environment. Proposed synchronous reference control algorithm was framed in MATLAB with modified multilevel space vector pulse width modulator. The effectiveness of the entire ac motor drives system was tested. Simulation results are given in detail to show symmetrical and asymmetrical, power sharing conditions. Furthermore, the three degree of freedom are exploited to investigate fault tolerant capabilities in post-fault conditions. Complete set of simulation results are provided when one, two and three VSIs are faulty. Hardware prototype model of quad-inverter was implemented with two passive three-phase open-winding loads using two TMS320F2812 DSP controllers. Developed McBSP (multi-channel buffered serial port) communication algorithm able to control the four VSIs for PWM communication and synchronization. Open-loop control scheme based on inverse three-phase decomposition approach was developed to control entire quad-inverter configuration and tested with balanced and unbalanced operating conditions with simplified PWM techniques. Both simulation and experimental results are always in good agreement with theoretical developments.

Ownership, Multiple Blockholders and Performance: A study of the Indonesian Banking Industry

The objective of this study is to provide empirical evidence on how ownership structure and owner’s identity affect performance, in the banking industry by using a panel of Indonesia banks over the period 2000–2009. Firstly, we analysed the impact of the presence of multiple blockholders on bank ownership structure and performance. Building on multiple agency and principal-principal theories, we investigated whether the presence and shares dispersion across blockholders with different identities (i.e. central and regional government; families; foreign banks and financial institutions) affected bank performance, in terms of profitability and efficiency. We found that the number of blockholders has a negative effect on banks’ performance, while blockholders’ concentration has a positive effect. Moreover, we observed that the dispersion of ownership across different types of blockholders has a negative effect on banks’ performance. We interpret such results as evidence that, when heterogeneous blockholders are present, the disadvantage from conflicts of interests between blockholders seems to outweigh the advantage of the increase in additional monitoring by additional blockholder. Secondly, we conducted a joint analysis of the static, selection, and dynamic effects of different types of ownership on banks’ performance. We found that regional banks and foreign banks have a higher profitability and efficiency as compared to domestic private banks. In the short-run, foreign acquisitions and domestic M&As reduce the level of overhead costs, while in the long-run they increase the Net Interest Margin (NIM). Further, we analysed NIM determinants, to asses the impact of ownership on bank business orientation. Our findings lend support to our prediction that the NIM determinants differs accordingly to the type of bank ownership. We also observed that banks that experienced changes in ownership, such as foreign-acquired banks, manifest different interest margin determinants with respect to domestic or foreign banks that did not experience ownership rearrangements.

Aspects of poriferan (Suberites domuncula) apoptosis and innate immune system and evolutionary implications

Survivin, a unique member of the family of inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) proteins, orchestrates intracellular pathways during cell division and apoptosis. Its central regulatory function in vertebrate molecular pathways as mitotic regulator and inhibitor of apoptotic cell death has major implications for tumor cell proliferation and viability, and has inspired several approaches that target survivin for cancer therapy. Analyses in early-branching Metazoa so far propose an exclusive role of survivin as a chromosomal passenger protein, whereas only later during evolution the second, complementary antiapoptotic function might have arisen, concurrent with increased organismal complexity. To lift the veil on the ancestral function(s) of this key regulatory molecule, a survivin homologue of the phylogenetically oldest extant metazoan taxon (phylum Porifera) was identified and functionally characterized. SURVL of the demosponge Suberites domuncula shares significant similarities with its metazoan homologues, ranging from conserved exon/intron structures to the presence of localization signal and protein-interaction domains, characteristic of IAP proteins. Whereas sponge tissue displayed a very low steady-state level, SURVL expression was significantly up-regulated in rapidly proliferating primmorph cells. In addition, challenge of sponge tissue and primmorphs with cadmium and the lipopeptide Pam3Cys-Ser-(Lys)4 stimulated SURVL expression, concurrent with the expression of newly discovered poriferan caspases (CASL and CASL2). Complementary functional analyses in transfected HEK-293 revealed that heterologous expression of poriferan survivin in human cells not only promotes cell proliferation but also augments resistance to cadmium-induced cell death. Taken together, these results demonstrate both a deep evolutionary conserved and fundamental dual role of survivin, and an equally conserved central position of this key regulatory molecule in interconnected pathways of cell cycle and apoptosis. Additionally, SDCASL, SDCASL2, and SDTILRc (TIR-LRR containing protein) may represent new components of the innate defense sentinel in sponges. SDCASL and SDCASL2 are two new caspase-homolog proteins with a singular structure. In addition to their CASc domains, SDCASL and SDCASL2 feature a small prodomain NH2-terminal (effector caspases) and a remarkably long COOH-terminal domain containing one or several functional double stranded RNA binding domains (dsrm). This new caspase prototype can characterize a caspase specialization coupling pathogen sensing and apoptosis, and could represent a very efficient defense mechanism. SDTILRc encompasses also a unique combination of domains: several leucine rich repeats (LRR) and a Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain. This unusual domain association may correspond to a new family of intracellular sensing protein, forming a subclass of pattern recognition receptors (PRR).

Comparative analysis of midline guidance and axon pathfinding in the chelicerates Achaearanea tepidariorum and Cupiennius salei

Die Neurogenese und axonale Wegfindung sind in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten Thema einer Vielzahl wissenschaftlicher Untersuchungen in den verschiedensten Organismen gewesen. Die zusammengetragenen Daten in Insekten und Crustaceen geben eine gute Übersicht darüber, wie das Nervensystem in Arthropoden aufgebaut wird. Die entwicklungsbiologischen Prozesse, die daran beteiligt sind, sind in den beiden genannten Gruppen sehr gut verstanden. In den Gruppen der Cheliceraten und Myriapoden jedoch wurden ähnliche Analysen bisher kaum durchgeführt. Das Hauptanliegen dieser Arbeit war es daher, Mechanismen in den Spinnen Achaearanea tepidariorum und Cupiennius salei, zwei Vertretern der Cheliceraten, zu untersuchen, die eine Rolle im Leitsystem der ventralen Mittellinie und bei der axonalen Wegfindung spielen. Eine Vorraussetzung hierfür sind Kenntnisse über die Architektur des Zentralnervensystems. In einem ersten Schritt beschrieb ich daher grundlegend die Morphologie des Nervensystems im Verlauf der gesamten Embryoalentwicklung. Ich konnte zeigen, dass in Spinnen ein für Arthropoden typisches Strickleiternervensystem gebildet wird. Dieses wird von segmental angelegten Neuronen geformt, wobei sowohl Gruppen von Zellen als auch einzelne Neurone daran beteiligt sind, die primären axonalen Trakte zu etablieren. Im Besonderen konnte ich eine Zelle identifizieren, die in Position, Projektionsmuster und der Expression des Markergens even-skipped vergleichbar zum PR2 Neuron in Drosophila ist, welches die posteriore Wurzel des Segmentalnervs anlegt.rnrnIn einem zweiten Ansatz untersuchte ich die ventrale Mittellinie in Spinnen im Bezug auf ihre mögliche Funktion in der axonalen Wegfindung. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass es sich beim Epithel der Mittellinie, das die Lücke zwischen beiden Keimstreifhälften während des gesamten Prozesses der Inversion überspannt, um eine transiente Struktur handelt, die keine neuralen Zellen hervorbringt. Es ist daher vergleichbar mit der so genannten Floor plate in Vertebraten, die ebenfalls nur vorübergehend existiert. Die Untersuchung von single minded (sim) zeigte, dass es, anders als in Drosophila, wo sim ein wichtiges regulatorisches Gen für die korrekte Spezifizierung von Mittellinienzellen ist, nicht in den Zellen der Mittellinie, sondern in diesen benachbarten Zellen, exprimiert wird. Das ist vergleichbar mit Vertebraten. Zusätzlich konnte ich Expression von sim an den Basen der Gliedmassen und im Kopf nachweisen. Wie in Vertebraten könnte sim an der Musterbildung dieser Gewebe beteiligt sein. Dennoch spielt die Mittellinie in Spinnen eine wichtige Rolle als Organisator für auswachsende, kommissurale Axone. Diese Funktion teilt sie mit anderen Invertebraten und Vertebraten.rnrnDie Signaltransduktionskaskade, die an der axonalen Wegfindung an der Mittellinie beteiligt ist, ist in den verschiedensten Organismen hoch konserviert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte ich sowohl in Achaearanea als auch in Cupiennius ein netrin Homolog identifizieren und eine konservierte Funktion des Wegfindungsmoleküls während der Bildung der Kommissuren aufzeigen. RNAi Experimente belegen, dass, wird die Funktion von netrin herunterreguliert, das Strickleiternervensystem nicht korrekt gebildet wird, ins Besondere die kommissuralen Faszikel. Des Weiteren konnte ich eine neue Funktion von netrin, die bisher in anderen Organsimen noch nicht beschrieben wurde, identifizieren. Neben seiner Rolle in der axonalen Wegfindung, scheint netrin auch an der epithelialen Morphogenese im zentralen Nervensystem beteiligt zu sein. In dieser Funktion scheint netrin in Gliazellen, die die epithelialen Vesikel der Invaginationsgruppen umhüllen, wichtig zu sein, um neurale Vorläuferzellen in einem undifferenzierten Zustand zu halten. Der Abbau von netrin Transkript durch RNA Interferenz führt zu einer verfrühten Segregation neuraler Vorläuferzellen aus dem epithelialen Verband der Invaginationsgruppen und zu einer Zunahme an Zellen, die den frühen Differenzierungsmarker islet exprimieren.

Authoring tools and management information systems: study of a generalizable architecture

The need to effectively manage the documentation covering the entire production process, from the concept phase right through to market realise, constitutes a key issue in the creation of a successful and highly competitive product. For almost forty years the most commonly used strategies to achieve this have followed Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) guidelines. Translated into information management systems at the end of the '90s, this methodology is now widely used by companies operating all over the world in many different sectors. PLM systems and editor programs are the two principal types of software applications used by companies for their process aotomation. Editor programs allow to store in documents the information related to the production chain, while the PLM system stores and shares this information so that it can be used within the company and made it available to partners. Different software tools, which capture and store documents and information automatically in the PLM system, have been developed in recent years. One of them is the ''DirectPLM'' application, which has been developed by the Italian company ''Focus PLM''. It is designed to ensure interoperability between many editors and the Aras Innovator PLM system. In this dissertation we present ''DirectPLM2'', a new version of the previous software application DirectPLM. It has been designed and developed as prototype during the internship by Focus PLM. Its new implementation separates the abstract logic of business from the real commands implementation, previously strongly dependent on Aras Innovator. Thanks to its new design, Focus PLM can easily develop different versions of DirectPLM2, each one devised for a specific PLM system. In fact, the company can focus the development effort only on a specific set of software components which provides specialized functions interacting with that particular PLM system. This allows shorter Time-To-Market and gives the company a significant competitive advantage.

FRAX® assessment of osteoporotic fracture probability in Switzerland

A Swiss-specific FRAX model was developed. Patient profiles at increased probability of fracture beyond currently accepted reimbursement thresholds for bone mineral density (BMD) measurement by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and osteoporosis treatment were identified.

Pheochromocytoma in rats with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MENX) shares gene expression patterns with human pheochromocytoma

Pheochromocytomas are rare neoplasias of neural crest origin arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla and sympathetic ganglia (extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma). Pheochromocytoma that develop in rats homozygous for a loss-of-function mutation in p27Kip1 (MENX syndrome) show a clear progression from hyperplasia to tumor, offering the possibility to gain insight into tumor pathobiology. We compared the gene-expression signatures of both adrenomedullary hyperplasia and pheochromocytoma with normal rat adrenal medulla. Hyperplasia and tumor show very similar transcriptome profiles, indicating early determination of the tumorigenic signature. Overrepresentation of developmentally regulated neural genes was a feature of the rat lesions. Quantitative RT-PCR validated the up-regulation of 11 genes, including some involved in neural development: Cdkn2a, Cdkn2c, Neurod1, Gal, Bmp7, and Phox2a. Overexpression of these genes precedes histological changes in affected adrenal glands. Their presence at early stages of tumorigenesis indicates they are not acquired during progression and may be a result of the lack of functional p27Kip1. Adrenal and extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma development clearly follows diverged molecular pathways in MENX rats. To correlate these findings to human pheochromocytoma, we studied nine genes overexpressed in the rat lesions in 46 sporadic and familial human pheochromocytomas. The expression of GAL, DGKH, BMP7, PHOX2A, L1CAM, TCTE1, EBF3, SOX4, and HASH1 was up-regulated, although with different frequencies. Immunohistochemical staining detected high L1CAM expression selectively in 27 human pheochromocytomas but not in 140 nonchromaffin neuroendocrine tumors. These studies reveal clues to the molecular pathways involved in rat and human pheochromocytoma and identify previously unexplored biomarkers for clinical use.

Supply sensitive services in Swiss ambulatory care: an analysis of basic health insurance records for 2003-2007

Swiss ambulatory care is characterized by independent, and primarily practice-based, physicians, receiving fee for service reimbursement. This study analyses supply sensitive services using ambulatory care claims data from mandatory health insurance. A first research question was aimed at the hypothesis that physicians with large patient lists decrease their intensity of services and bill less per patient to health insurance, and vice versa: physicians with smaller patient lists compensate for the lack of patients with additional visits and services. A second research question relates to the fact that several cantons are allowing physicians to directly dispense drugs to patients ('self-dispensation') whereas other cantons restrict such direct sales to emergencies only. This second question was based on the assumption that patterns of rescheduling patients for consultations may differ across channels of dispensing prescription drugs and therefore the hypothesis of different consultation costs in this context was investigated.

Antibiotic use in adult outpatients in Switzerland in relation to regions, seasonality and point of care tests

The use of antibiotics is highest in primary care and directly associated with antibiotic resistance in the community. We assessed regional variations in antibiotic use in primary care in Switzerland and explored prescription patterns in relation to the use of point of care tests. Defined daily doses of antibiotics per 1000 inhabitants (DDD(1000pd) ) were calculated for the year 2007 from reimbursement data of the largest Swiss health insurer, based on the anatomic therapeutic chemical classification and the DDD methodology recommended by WHO. We present ecological associations by use of descriptive and regression analysis. We analysed data from 1 067 934 adults, representing 17.1% of the Swiss population. The rate of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions in the entire population was 8.5 DDD(1000pd) , and varied between 7.28 and 11.33 DDD(1000pd) for northwest Switzerland and the Lake Geneva region. DDD(1000pd) for the three most prescribed antibiotics were 2.90 for amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate, 1.77 for fluoroquinolones, and 1.34 for macrolides. Regions with higher DDD(1000pd) showed higher seasonal variability in antibiotic use and lower use of all point of care tests. In regression analysis for each class of antibiotics, the use of any point of care test was consistently associated with fewer antibiotic prescriptions. Prescription rates of primary care physicians showed variations between Swiss regions and were lower in northwest Switzerland and in physicians using point of care tests. Ecological studies are prone to bias and whether point of care tests reduce antibiotic use has to be investigated in pragmatic primary care trials.

Numerical Computation of a Certain Dirichlet Series Attached to Siegel Modular Forms of Degree Two

The Rankin convolution type Dirichlet series D-F,D-G(s) of Siegel modular forms F and G of degree two, which was introduced by Kohnen and the second author, is computed numerically for various F and G. In particular, we prove that the series D-F,D-G(s), which shares the same functional equation and analytic behavior with the spinor L-functions of eigenforms of the same weight are not linear combinations of those. In order to conduct these experiments a numerical method to compute the Petersson scalar products of Jacobi Forms is developed and discussed in detail.